Tournament of Roses President Richard Chinen; drum majors Trilina Mai, Julia Martyn and Nathan Sacamay; and band director James Quirion, from left, gather around the official Tournament of Roses flag during the rally. ANNA REED , STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Band director James Quirion addresses the crowd during the rally. ANNA REED , STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Drum majors Trilina Mai, Julia Martyn and Nathan Sacamay, from left, lead the band during the rally. ANNA REED , STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The band gathers outside after the rally. ANNA REED , STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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At left: Jessica Erbe plays during the rally. At right: Tournament of Roses President Richard Chinen; drum majors Trilina Mai, Julia Martyn and Nathan Sacamay; and band director James Quirion, from left, gather around the official Tournament of Roses flag. ANNA REED , STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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The band plays during the rally. ANNA REED , STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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A handmade sign congratulating the band hangs in the gym. ANNA REED , STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Saul Lucero, a junior, plays the vibraphone in the pit during the rally. ANNA REED , STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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The drum line performs during the rally. ANNA REED , STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Cypress High School’s band, the Centurion Imperial Brigade, celebrated its invitation to march in the 126th Tournament of Roses Parade at a rally Tuesday on campus.

The band will be among just 20 from around the world chosen to participate in the New Year’s Day celebration. The theme for the 2015 Tournament of Roses is “Inspiring Stories.”

“I want the students to understand that they’re inspiring others,” said Rose Parade President Richard Chinen.

“The whole school is connected to the band now,” said ASB student ambassador Samara Poché. “They work hard. I’ve even seen them practice in the rain, and that passion inspires me as a person.”

Chinen, who attended the rally, presented the band with the iconic tournament flag. “I know they’re going to play really well, because it’s what they’re trained to do,” he said. “It’s what they’re gifted to do.”

The school’s gym was filled with energy as teachers, parents and students eagerly awaited the band’s honorary rally performance. Festive costumes showed off Cypress’ bold blue and orange colors, and the drum line shared its theatrical field show before the gym doors swung open and 160 uniformed musicians filed onto the basketball court.

“We’re usually just the background music, not the center of attention,” said head drum major Julia Martyn, a senior. “We’re introducing band culture to (the other students) ... hopefully they’ll appreciate what we do.”

Graduating seniors will be able to perform as alumni with the band at the parade next year, depending on the availability of uniforms and whether they can attend rehearsals at Cypress.

“Kids all around the world watch the Rose Parade and want to be in it,” assistant drum major Nathan Sacamay said. “We’re setting an example for others to do things greater than we did.”

To get ready for the 5.5-mile parade march, the next eight months will consist of endurance training, rehearsing and fundraising. It’ll take lots of hard work to prepare for this opportunity of a lifetime, but Centurion band director James Quirion promises a rich payoff. As a teenager, Quirion played in the 1990 Tournament of Roses Parade, and he’s excited to pass on the experience to his students.

Junior Trilina Mai, an assistant drum major, anticipates that she’s going to be tired after the long march down Colorado Boulevard, but is on “cloud nine” just the same. “We have to make sacrifices, but if you want to do something, you make it happen,” she said.

Most of the students are still in a state of shock at the enormity of this pending occasion.

“I can’t even comprehend what it’s going to be like,” said junior Amanda Hamelinck, a pageantry dancer. “I see other people on TV every year, and they’re my idols right now.”

With a projected size of 200 students, the band plans to invest in new instruments before it marks time in Pasadena. The students hope to galvanize the Cypress community as they seek financial and moral support, working toward a fundraising goal of $100,000. Quirion looks at the money as an investment in the school and the community as he works to make the Rose Parade a regular appearance.

The Register will continue to check in and report on Cypress High School’s preparations for its Rose Parade debut. Future stories will appear in Varsity Arts.

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